Lifting-jack



(No Model,) 2 SheetsSheet W. M.'PIPER.

LIFTING JACK.

No. 401,368. Patented Apr. 16, I889.

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W. M. PIPER.

LIFTING JACK.

No. 401,368. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. PIPER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

LlFTlNG-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,368, dated April 16, 1889.

application filed'July 24, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. PIPER, of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvem entin Lifting-Jacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved lifting-jack. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of the jack. Fig. 4. is a plan view thereof.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

The lifting-j ack which forms the subject of my present invention consists of several essential parts: a bottom piece provided with converginginclines, a top piece on which rests the object to be lifted, wedges interposed between these parts, and a screw-shaft having right and left threads for moving the wedges simultaneously in opposite directions.

In the drawings, 2 represents the bottom piece of the jack, the surface of which is provided with the inclined sunken ways 3 and 4, which converge at the middle of the bottom piece, as shown in the drawings.

The top piece, 5, of the jack has a flat surface, and on its under side it has sunken inclined ways, which are inclined conformably to the inclination of the bottom piece, and downwardly-proj ecting flanges 6 at the ends, which fit against the ends of the bottom piece and serve to guide and steady the top piece in its vertical movements. For this purpose the flanges 6 are preferably provided with lateral wings 7, which fit in recesses 8 in the sides of the bottom piece.

9 and 10 are the wedges, which are i11terposed between the top and bottom pieces, 2 and 5, and are inclined on the top and bottom conformably to the inclination thereof. A screw-shaft, 11, extends through threaded holes in the wedges 9 and 10 and through elongated slots 12 in the flanges 6, and the portions of the shaft which pass through these wedges are provided with right and left hand screw-threads, respectively.

13 are collars on the shaft 11, which fit Serial No. 280,874. (No model.)

against the outer sides of the flanges 0 and prevent endwise motion of the shaft.

\Vhen the jack 's thus constructed, a rotation of the screw-shaft 11 in either direction by 7 means of a wrench or lever (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) will cause the wedges 9 and 10 to approach or to separate, and will thus either raise the top piece, 5, or will allow it to descend,.accordingly.as the shaft is turned in one direction or the other. During this operation the wedges are caused to travel in right lines, and thus their binding on the screwshaft is prevented by the guiding action of the sides of the sunken inclined ways of the top and bottom pieces, and the top piece is caused to move in true vertical lines by the guidance of the flanges at its ends, and the screw is caused by the collar 13 to exert its force entirely on the wedges, and is itself prevented from longitudinal motion.

The advantages of this form of lifting-jack will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains. The jack is simple in its construction, and by reason of the combination of the several mechanical elements, the screws, the inclines, and the lever by which the screw-shaft is turned, it may be used to lift very heavy weights.

The invention may be applied to a great variety of uses. It is not only applicable generally to the different uses to which a jack is put, but by reason of its strength and compact form it may be applied to certain special uses-such, for example, as in wedging down coal in coal-mines, in raising the bearings of rolls, and for use as an adjustable pillow-block for engines, &c.-for which other forms of jack, owing to their improper size and shape, could not readily be used. It may also be used for purposes of a different nature, as I desire to cover the apparatus itself as a mechanical device, no matter to what use it may be put.

In Figs. 3 and i I illustrate a modification of my invention. Here only one side (the lower side) of each wedge is inclined, the top piece being made flat and without the depending flanges. This form of the jack is constructed to impart a side motion to the top simultaneously with the vertical motion, and

is intended for such work as lifting heavy weights, where a forward as Well as an up ward motion needs to be given to the article. To this end I provide the top piece with inclined slots 14, in which slots are fitted pins 15, which project from the top of the wedges, so that as the wedges travel in opposite directions in raising the top piece the pins 15, bearingon the sides of the slot, shall also move it laterally.

I claim 1. The combination, with a bottom piece and vertically-movable top piece, the distance between said pieces being greatest at their central point and decreasing toward their ends, of interposed wedges, and a screw-shaft having right and left threads which engage the said Wedges, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with a bottom piece and a vertically-movable top piece, the distance between said pieces decreasing from the central point toward the ends, of interposed wedges and a screw-shaft having right and left threads which engage the said Wedges, said bottom piece having inclined sunken ways in which said wedges travel, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with a bottom piece and a vertically-movable top piece, of interposed wedges, a screw-shaft having right and left threads which engage the said wedges, and said top piece having Vertical guideflanges which fit against the bottom piece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination, with a bottom piece and a vertically-movable toppiece, of interposed wedges, a screw-shafthaving right and left threads which engage the said wedges, and said top piece having vertical guidefianges which fit against the bottom piece, and which are provided with vertical elongated slots through which the screw-shaft passes, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination, with a bottom piece and a Vertically-n1ovable top piece, of interposed wedges, a screw-shaft having right and left threads which engage the said wedges, and projections on the said wedges which fit in inclined guides on the top piece, whereby the motion of the wedges is caused to impart a simultaneous vertical and lateral motion to the top piece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination, with a bottom piece and a vertically-movable top piece, of interposed wedges and a screw-shaft having right and left threads which engage the said wedges, said top piece having vertical guide-flanges fitting in corresponding guide-recesses in the bottom piece, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of July, A. D. 1888.

WILLIAM M. PIPER.

Witnesses:

WV. B. OoRwIN, J. K. SMITH. 

